Keegan-Michael Key will throw out first pitch at Detroit Tigers home opener
A comedy giant with Detroit roots will bring star power to the home opener for the 2025 season of the Detroit Tigers.
Keegan-Michael Key, one half of the classic sketch series "Key & Peele," will deliver the ceremonial first pitch on April 4 as the Tigers face the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park.
The Emmy winner grew up in the Motor City and has never forgotten his hometown. He was a grand marshal in 2016 of Detroit's America's Thanksgiving Parade and talked about his Detroit childhood during his monologue while hosting "Saturday Night Live" in 2021.
And when he's not helping out the Tigers, Key is also a noted Detroit Lions superfan.
Since "Key & Peele" ended its run in 2015, Key has starred in two streaming series, Netflix's "Friends from College" and AppleTV's "Schmigadoon!," which showed off his flair for musical comedy. His movie credits include "Wonka" and "The Predator."
More: Tigers' Comerica Park was last MLB stadium with this playing feature. Now it's gone
Another Michigan actor and multiple Tony nominee, Brian d'Arcy James, will sing the national anthem. The Saginaw native has appeared in movies like "Spotlight" and Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" (where he played Officer Krupke) and tackleded lead roles on Broadway in hits like "Shrek" and "Something Rotten."
He also originated the role of King George in Lin-Manuel Miranda's acclaimed "Hamilton" before it moved to Broadway.
Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Keegan-Michael Key to throw first pitch at Tigers home opener
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